Greens benefit from large political donations
The Australian Greens have faced accusations of hypocrisy from the Coalition after revealing the funding that propelled their unprecedented gains in the 2010 Federal election.
While the Australian Electoral Commission only asks for disclosure of individual donations totalling $11,500 or more, the Greens reveal all donations over $1500 a year ahead of the other major parties.
But despite calling for a ban on all individual gifts over $1000 to remove the influence of wealthy elites, the Greens took $1.6 million from founder of travel website Wotif.com, Graeme Wood. This constitutes the largest individual donation in Australian political history since that made to the Liberals by British MP Lord Michael Ashcroft in 2004. The party also accepted $26, 819 from New Zealand company Fuzion Aotearoa.
However, Derek Schild, convenor of the Australian Greens, stated that the party’s acceptance of the donation did not change its policy on electoral reform.
“Reform on political donations is one of the aims of the agreement the Greens signed with Labor after the election,” said Mr Schild. “Advocating for change should not exclude the Greens from working within the system as it currently stands.”
Wood’s philanthropy also contrasts with the aims of other donors to major parties such as the tobacco industry, which gave $83,000 to the Liberal Party over the 2008/09 financial years. He purchased blocks of a Tasmanian rainforest to save it from logging and also directed approximately $500,000 towards Melbourne’s Beyond Zero Emissions advocacy network. Wood stated that his concerns for the environment and frustration over the other major party’s inaction on climate change motivated his bequest.
In light of the 3.7 percent swing towards the Australian Greens in the primary vote, accepting such donations appeared to pay off. Large contributions like Wood’s helped the Greens to launch high quality television advertisements that were broadcast nationally on commercial networks for the first time.
A Greenslide ensued, with the party attaining the balance of power in the Senate. Adam Bandt also became the first Greens candidate to be elected to the House of Representatives at a general election.
However, Mr Schild emphasised that the Greens were massively outspent by Labor and the Coalition at every election.
He also stated that thousands of ordinary Australians contributed more than $300,000 during the Greens 2010 federal election campaign, making individual donations of less than $100 on average.
BY MILLY CAFFREY
